Commercial Mariner - Maritime Security

Lake Assault to deliver patrol boat pair to US Army

Baird Maritime

Lake Assault Boats will deliver the first of two patrol boats in a series to the US Army later this month while the second vessel will be delivered in March.

The identical craft are 10.6 metres long (excluding engines and engine guards) and three metres wide with seating for 10 people. Three Honda 186kW outboard engines deliver a top speed of 45 knots.

The boats may also be fitted with dual weapon mounts (one forward and one aft) capable of accommodating machine guns of up to 12.7-millimetre calibre.

The draught for each boat is no greater than 45 centimetres when the motors are trimmed up and 60 centimetres when trimmed down.

The boats will help provide security for the US Army's Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU) base in North Carolina. MOTSU is the key ammunition shipping point on the Atlantic coast for US armed forces worldwide.